


How can it be so hard to say?

by 9OO



Category: DC Extended Universe, Justice League (2017)
Genre: I'm Sorry, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, To Be Continued, Unresolved Romantic Tension, bitch i fuckin love superbat, consistent plot? idk her, controversial opinions in notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-09 02:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14707664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/9OO/pseuds/9OO
Summary: It's just three words. Spit them out.





	How can it be so hard to say?

**Author's Note:**

> please don't kill me i know this is bad
> 
> just an assortment of situations where Bruce and Clark could've (should've) said "i love you"  
> (and the first situation too idk what that is lmao)
> 
> anyway i promised y'all controversial opinions so here comes  
> everyone else: batman v superman and the rest of dc movies aren't good  
> me, a simpleton: I STAN

Barry sat on the edge of a piece of debris. Diana, Victor and Clark were cleaning up the battlefield while he and Bruce waited. Arthur had disappeared as soon as Diana started talking about cleaning up. Bruce watched something intently. Barry followed his gaze and boom. Superman. He looked back at Bruce. Then at Clark. Then back at Bruce.  
"You like him." It wasn't a question. Bruce jolted and failed to hide it.  
"We're teammates."  
"No, I mean you LIKE him."  
"That's what I said", Bruce insisted. Barry groaned. "I don't wanna say the alternative."  
"Which is...?" There was a moment of silence. Barry huffed.  
"You wanna fuck him." A large piece of debris dropped down out on the field. Diana yelled something and Victor just screamed.  
"Did he hear me?!"  
"Of course he did", Bruce hiss-whispered. "And I do NOT want to... fuck him."  
"YOU WANT TO BE FUCKED BY HIM?!?!"  
"NO!"

Diana threw a boulder over her head and chuckled at Clark.  
"Focus on the job, not the gossip." Clark blushed and smiled an awkward smile.  
"I'm just curious what they're saying about me."  
"They're probably just swooning over you", Victor smirked. Clark laughed along. "No really, Bruce stares at your ass for days." Clark dropped the house carcass he'd been carrying. Victor let out a shrill scream. "DEAR GODS!" yelled Diana.  
"Sorry! It slipped!"  
"YOU WANT TO BE FUCKED BY HIM?!?!" Barry's voice echoed through the field. "NO!"  
Diana and Victor laughed. Clark's face felt hot.

Bruce would rather be dead than where he was. He was trapped in the Daily Planet elevator with Clark. Clark couldn't just pull the doors open because of the security cameras and because it was already pretty late, help was coming in the morning, if they were lucky. They could also be trapped until a lot later if traffic was bad, which it often was in Metropolis. So basically, Bruce was stuck in a small space with the strongest man on earth, whom he also happened to have the hots for. He knew that Clark could hear his heartbeat, rapid and uncertain.  
"Are you okay?" he asked. Bruce chuckled and sounded calmer than he was.  
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"  
"You sound nervous." To anyone else, he would sound perfectly calm. But Clark wasn't just anyone, was he?  
"It's nothing." Bruce made a futile attempt to steady his heartbeat. Clark stepped closer and his breath caught in his throat. Goddamn, he was sa grown man! He shouldn't be flustered like this in front of his "crush"! But be damned, he was. He was smitten. Clark leaned in and squinted his eyes behind the rectangular glasses.  
"You're not claustrophobic, are you?" he asked and took a few steps back, just to be careful. Bruce sighed in relief.  
"No, that's not it. I just have things to do out there." You have things to do in here too, or rather things to do you! Bruce mentally slapped himself. Good thing Clark wasn't also a mind reader. But he was observant and smart. He caught Bruce's lie instantly.  
"There's something wrong. Tell me."  
"I would rather not-" In a flash, Clark was right in front of him. Way too close.  
"T-the security camera-" Bruce warned but his voice had become so very small.  
"I don't care about the security camera, Bruce, I care about you." Bruce grimaced at the cheesiness of that line, even though it made his heart flutter. He felt like a teenage girl with a crush and hated himself for it. He took a deep breath.  
"Clark, I-" The elevator went dark. Bruce yelped and instinctively grabbed the nearest thing to him. Which happened to be Clark. Who was shaking with laughter at his horror.  
"Making fun of a man in a position of vulnerability, Kent? You've sunk low."  
"It's just kind of funny how you instantly grabbed me." Bruce scoffed.  
"It's no more than a reflex."  
"Then why haven't you let go of me?" Bruce's eyes widened as he rapidly attempted to push himself away from Clark's chest. But Clark, the bastard, wouldn't let him.  
"Your pulse was calmer just now. Hugging me calmed you down. So I'm not letting go."  
"Well it's not calming anymore is it?!"  
"Shhh."  
"Don't shush me, you-"  
"Then how else am I going to get you to be quiet?" Kiss me, was Bruce's first thought but he shook it away.  
"You can't." Bitch, he added in his mind. Clark thought for a moment and then put a hand on Bruce's mouth. The smirk was audible in his voice.  
"There." Bruce rolled his eyes and then licked Clark's hand. Clark pulled away at lightning speed and the sound of him wiping it on his pants made itself into Bruce's ears.  
"There", he mocked. Clark chuckled deep from his chest and Bruce could feel it under his hands. It was really damn hot if he was honest. Too damn hot. He was starting to feel sweaty.  
"You're like a goddamn furnace", Bruce mumbled. This time Clark's laugh was loud and bright, blinding Bruce, even in the dark.  
"Oh, right! You were about to say something when the lights went out. What is it?"  
"Was I?? Can't remember. I don't think I was." Useless lie, not even worth the try. Clark knew how to be stubborn. Especially when he was worried.  
"Please, Bruce. Tell me." Bruce rested his forehead against Clark's chest.  
"I really don't want to. Not here, not right now." Clark huffed.  
"Fine. I'll let it go. But please know that I'm worried about you, Bruce. I'm your friend and you can tell me anything." Bruce smiled bitterly. Clark being his friend was the... well, not exactly the last thing he wanted but he'd prefer something else.  
"I'm getting pretty tired. Mind being my pillow, big guy?" Clark snorted.  
"The rich part of you is very noticeable in situations like these."  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bruce scoffed and rested his head on Clark's bicep. But it was pure muscle and very uncomfortable so he carefully folded his jacket and put it between his cheek and Clark's incredibly dense skin. When they were rescued in the morning, they pretended to have slept separately but Bruce still felt the warmth of Clark's body on him. He smiled into his morning coffee back at the manor and shrugged Alfred off when he asked what was on his mind. And then spat when Alfred asked if he was finally dating someone.  
"I was trapped in an elevator for a night, what could've happened there?" His eyes widened when he realized all the possible scenarios that could've happened. "...Damn it."

"Whatchu doing there?" Barry asked and Bruce sighed. "It's none of your business, kid."  
"So it's not a Justice League thing? That's even more interesting!"  
"Go bug someone else."  
"What's it for?"  
"Stuff."  
"What color is it gonna be?"  
"Go away."  
"Can i have it when it's done?"  
"Absolutely not." Bruce moved the device slightly further away from the speedster.  
"What are you working on?" asked Diana from behind Barry. Bruce cursed.  
"Please do not bother me."  
"I've run some programs and I think it's a-" Victor started but Bruce stopped him. "Don't you dare. It's none of their, or your, business." Victor raised his hands in surrender.  
"What kind of nerd gadget are you making now?" Arthur asked, appearing from nowhere. Bruce leaned back and rubbed his temples.  
"I hate you all so much."  
"Aww Bruce, we love you too", Diana mocked, earning a glare. "Don't you have anything else to do?"  
"Not really, no." Bruce grouched over his project once more.  
"What are you all doing here?" Clark asked.  
"Watching Bruce work", Victor responded.  
"Oh? What are you working on?" Clark asked and Bruce turned around in his chair.  
"It's a lie detector that you can't fool. It doesn't take your pulse into the equation at all so calming your heartbeat doesn't help against it and it-"  
"Hey, how come he gets a detailed explanation and you just told us to go away???"

Batman's leg was broken. His leg was broken and he was bleeding on the pavement in a dark side alley, surrounded by unconscious criminals. His leg might also just be cramped or asleep but he was kind of drunk so he couldn't have known. But it was definitely a deep stab wound gushing out blood from his thigh.  
"This went well", he laughed and tried to sit up. He didn't succeed. So he just laid there, weighing the pros and cons of calling Alfred or the Justice league. Alfred would sass him and he was not in the mood for that, and it would be just straight up embarrassing asking the League for help when he was just slightly injured. SLIGHTLY INJURED?!?! Clark would yell, making Bruce's bones rattle and equipment fall off the shelves. Bruce snorted. How would he pay for them with his reporter salary? Poor bastard.  
"Scoop: Superman is a low-income citizen", Bruce mumbled and rolled to his side. A raindrop splattered on his cheek. Then another followed it and soon it was pouring. His cape got soaked and water mixed in with the blood puddle he was laying in.  
"I should get up."  
"You really should", said an all too familiar voice and then a strong pair of hands grabbed Bruce and helped him up.  
"...Clark?" A warm, although nervous chuckle enveloped Bruce in a feeling of safety.  
"Good to know that you recognize me even in a state of serious bloodloss."  
"And intoxication", Bruce added. Clark tensed up.  
"You're drunk?!" There it was. The bone-rattling worry.  
"I didn't drink much, just one bottle-" Bruce's injured leg gave out and Clark, not giving any attention to his resistance, lifted him up from the ground. Bridal style, Bruce noted somewhere at the back of his mind. The thought made him happy, somehow. It was probably the alcohol.

Clark was worried. Very worried. Bruce had started to drink more and more and it was starting to show effects. Bruce was nauseous almost all the time amd criminals got away from him easier. He was always seriously injured coming back from patrol. This time he hadn't even gotten back. Alfred had called Clark and asked him to go get Bruce. Of course he did, his best friend could be in trouble. And as it turned out, he was.  
"I'm going to take you home now", Clark said and jumped up into the air. He didn't even need to look to know where to go.  
"Nah, I don't wanna deal wih Alfred..." Bruve slurred and Clark shook his head.  
"You have to get medical assistance. I'm no doctor so Alfred's going to have to help you."  
"Fiiiiiine", Bruce whined and relaxed in Clark's arms.  
"Hey. Don't you slip away now. Stay awake."  
"Lemme sleep Clark. 'M tired." Bruce closed his eyes and Clark shook him to keep him concious.  
"I know you are. Just hold on for a while." Bruce sighed.  
"What did I do to deserve you?"  
Clark laughed. "How about we talk about that when you're sober?"  
"I'll hold you to that", Bruce threatened.  
"No you won't", Clark hummed with a sad look in his eyes.

The first thought Bruce got when he came to was that he was safe. He had no idea how and where he'd even been "not safe". He sat up and noticed bandage's on his thigh. Oh. Drunk patrol.  
"Good morning, master Wayne." Even in that simple sentence, Bruce could hear Alfred's mockery.  
"Please don't."  
"Greet you in the morning? Fine, if you so wish." Bruce rolled his eyes.  
"You know what I meant."  
"When master Kent brought you home you were nearly passed out. He was worried sick."  
"Clark brought me home?" Alfred laughed at his expression.  
"He stayed in the guest room for the night, in fact. I told him to use it instead of the couch he insisted on."  
"Is he still here?"  
"Heya Bruce", Clark answered for himself. Bruce gulped.  
"H-hey." He wanted to yell at Alfred. Alfred should've just gotten over his overwhelming hospitality and sent Clark home. Damn him.  
"Why are you still here?" Bruce asked. Clark laughed at his fake rude tone.  
"Alfred wouldn't let me leave." Bruce glared at Alfred who was carefully ignoring him while arranging his breakfast on the platter.  
"Master Kent wanted to stay, I didn't stop him from leaving", Alfred said and now it was Clark's turn to glare at him. "Gentlemen, honesty is a virtue", Alfred said with heavy meaning behind his playful words. He left them alone with the tension between them.  
"So uh, good to see that you're okay, I'll be going then."  
"Thanks, Clark. You're a great friend."  
Clark left and Alfred glared at Bruce when he re-entered the room. Bruce flopped back down on the bed and threw his arm over his eyes.  
"Stop." Alfred didn't sass him this time.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are very much appreciated! please tell me what you liked and what i could do better!


End file.
